Overview
- A Boston federal grand jury returned an indictment on Thursday charging John Anthony Proia III with one count of cyberstalking after prosecutors say he contacted the victim more than 40 times over about seven weeks.
- Charging documents allege Proia used an ever‑changing series of Voice over Internet Protocol phone numbers to place late‑night calls, texts and voicemails that prosecutors describe as menacing and expletive‑laced.
- Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson ordered Proia to surrender weapons and his passport, barred him from contacting the victim, limited his travel to Massachusetts, and required mental‑health care and random drug testing during pretrial release.
- Reporting and court materials say the probe included online posts in which the defendant allegedly encouraged others to place prank or harassment calls and shared tips for finding phone numbers and addresses.
- The investigation has triggered internal consequences at the FBI Washington Field Office and raised questions about how law enforcement handles anonymous digital harassment, with the defendant facing up to five years in prison if convicted.